The War for Humanity
by FandomMesses
Summary: After battling Xcution, Ichigo is living peacefully. But upon deciding to visit his friends in Soul Society, Ichigo falls through a portal into another world. Joining the Survey Corps alongside Eren and his friends, Ichigo is thrown into a whole new battle. But with many things coming to light, will he be able to handle it? And more importantly, will he be able to get back home?
1. Chapter 1

I do **NOT** own Bleach or Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

Ichigo let out a deep sigh as he put away his math homework. After an hour and a half, he was finally done with it. As he opened his desk drawer, he saw his Substitute Soul Reaper badge. There hadn't been any Hollows lately, something he was thankful for. The only downside to not having any Hollows to deal with was the boredom that came along with it.

It wasn't only him either. Uryu, Chad, and Orihime also thought it rather dull. Heck, even Tatsuki and Chizuru felt the same way-Keigo, not so much.

Laying down on his bed, his phone buzzed. He picked it up from his desk and read the message.

 **To: Kurosaki Ichigo**

 **From: Inoue Orihime**

 **Hello, Ichigo! I hope I'm not disturbing you! I just wanted to let you know I have extra bread from the bakery again! Would you like some?**

Ichigo was a little surprised at first that he got a message from Orihime. They had exchanged numbers a little bit before she was taken to Hueco Mundo, but despite it being almost two years since then, she had only contacted him a few times.

He remembered when he had asked her for her number, she had turned red and had begun stuttering. Even to this day, he still didn't understand why she reacted like that.

He remembered telling his sisters how puzzled he was regarding Orihime's reaction, only for Karin to roll her eyes at him while calling him an "oblivious idiot" while Yuzu just shook her head in disappointment at him.

 _It was just an exchange of information, wasn't it?_

Coming back to the present, Ichigo couldn't refuse. The bread at the bakery was always a treat and Yuzu would kill him should he refuse the bread…and Orihime.

 **~With Orihime~**

Orihime was shifting from one foot to the other as she awaited Ichigo's response. Maybe he was asleep? She slapped her forehead for disturbing his rest.

 _Oh, I'm so foolish! I hope Ichigo won't be upset with me if I woke him up!_ She thought, while pouting cutely. Just as she had given up with a sigh of defeat, her phone buzzed. Her mood changed instantly.

 **To: Inoue Orihime**

 **From: Kurosaki Ichigo**

 **Yeah, that'd be nice. Come on over.**

Orihime became redder than a tomato and before she knew what she was doing, she was happily skipping towards Ichigo's house/clinic.

 **~With Ichigo~**

Ichigo didn't know why, but being around Orihime was oddly enjoyable. Sure, she was pretty weird, but he figured that was what set her apart from all the other girls…and from his friends…and people in general. He sweatdropped.

After a few minutes, he heard a doorbell and got up from his bed. As he approached the stairs, Yuzu zoomed past him and opened the door to reveal Orihime.

"Orihime, welcome! Come in, come in!" Yuzu said happily.

"A-Ah, n-no! I don't want to intrude; I can just drop them-!"

"It's fine, Orihime, come on in." Ichigo said.

Karin pulled her in, who bowed in thanks. She took her shoes off and handed the basket to Yuzu, whose eyes were sparkling at the deliciousness. Karin raised her eyebrows, impressed with the display.

Orihime didn't move from her spot before the door. The last time she did this, they had to deal with the Fullbringers. Ever since then, she became paranoid about bringing bread to Ichigo's home/clinic, until Tatsuki punched her out of it.

"Come on up." He casually said, making her flustered again-to which he didn't understand why. Before she could respond, her stomach let out a long growl. She quickly wrapped her arms around her stomach, apologizing profusely. Karin just smirked, while Yuzu smiled sympathetically.

"Don't worry, dinner's almost ready Orihime." She said, before heading to the kitchen with her twin sister.

Orihime bowed in gratitude and made her way up the stairs, her body slightly trembling. Ichigo didn't notice, already making his way to his room. He took a seat on his desk chair and gestured for Orihime to sit on his bed. She almost had a heart attack.

"S-So…h-how have you b-been?" She asked nervously, fidgeting like crazy.

"Fine. Why are you fidgeting so much? You did this a lot last time you were here."

"W-Well! I-It's like last time w-where I didn't expect you to invite me in!"

"Oh. Well, we're friends aren't we? I don't see what the problem is." He said. A knock came at the door. Ichigo got up and opened it to see Isshin holding a tray of snacks and tea.

What disturbed Ichigo however was the weird, wide grin on his father's face. Ichigo took the tray, kicked his father in the face, and slammed the door shut.

"Stupid Goat-face," he muttered. "Sorry about that. Here we go." He set the tray down at the edge of his desk. Orihime shyly thanked him before picking up her cup.

After a while, Yuzu called them down for dinner. As they made their way downstairs, Orihime could hear her heart pounding against her chest. What made things even worse was that Ichigo's family had decided the two sit next to each other. But while the dinner went along smoothly, Orihime was waging a war with herself.

After dinner, Orihime stayed a few more minutes to allow her food to settle before thanking the Kurosaki family once again.

As she was putting her shoes on, Ichigo popped up next to her with his already on. She stared at him confused.

"Hurry, I'm walking you home. I don't trust you being out there by yourself. Something might happen again." Ichigo said, referring to her being kidnapped by Ulquiorra and then being slashed down by Tsukishima.

"N-No! It really is fine!" She said. Yuzu and Karin looked at each other and nodded.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Orihime." Karin said, earning the two teenagers' attention. "There have been some incidents happening at night lately."

Yuzu nodded, making Orihime 'eek', to which Ichigo just opened the door and waited outside. Not wanting to him keep him out too long, she hurried with her shoes, bid his siblings a goodnight, and met him outside.

The walk home was quiet but nice. Orihime kept glancing at Ichigo from her peripheral.

"It's been quiet lately, huh?" He suddenly asked. Orihime looked at him confused before understanding his question.

"Oh…yeah, it has." She said softly. "I somewhat prefer it this way."

"Yeah. It's nice not having to fight every night."

"It's not just that...," She said.

He turned to her, "What do you mean?"

"We get the chance to be normal teenagers again." His eyes softened in understanding. "Going to school, going to work, going home, doing homework, going to sleep at a proper hour…It's nice."

"Yeah, it is." He said.

After a few minutes of silence, Orihime made an 'O' with her mouth, "Oh yeah, we're still going to Soul Society tomorrow right?"

Ichigo nodded, to which Orihime giggled gleefully. "I can't wait to see everyone! It's been so long."

Ichigo waited for Orihime to unlock her door before bidding her a goodnight. She watched his retreating figure for a few more seconds before going inside.

Ichigo yawned as he walked back home. Orihime's house was about 15 minutes walking from his, so it wasn't too bad.

 **~The Next Day~**

Ichigo, Yoruichi, Chad, Orihime, and Uryu watched as Urahara set up the Senkaimon for transport. After a few seconds, it opened up and the group stepped inside.

"Don't forget to get me a souvenir Yoruichi!" Kisuke called happily.

"The only thing you'll get is my foot in your face if you say something stupid like that again, Kisuke."

"A-ha, you love me." He teased. He immediately regretted his actions when a rock came crashing into his face.

"We'll be back soon!" Orihime called. Tessai, Ururu, Jinta, and Kisuke waved goodbye, ignoring the fact that the shopkeeper's nose was bleeding profusely. But as soon as the Senkaimon closed, Urahara felt a chill run down his spine. Tessai looked at him.

"Boss, is something wrong?"

Urahara hid his face behind his fan, "…I hope not."

 **~The Dangai~**

The group made their way through, conversing (Orihime, Yoruichi, and Chad) and arguing (Ichigo and Uryu) as they did.

"God, will you shut up already Ichigo?!" Uryu yelled.

"Why don't _you_ do us all the favor of shutting up?!" he countered.

Yoruichi watched the two in amusement before feeling a chill run down her spine. She immediately went into serious-mode and began looking around, trying to find any abnormalities.

 _Was I just imagining things?_

 **~Shinigami Research and Development Institution~**

Akon was looking over new data when something started blinking in his peripheral. He moved over to the super computer on his right and began typing in codes.

What he saw shocked him, "Get Captain Kurotsuchi immediately!"

 **~The Dangai~**

"We're almost there," Chad said, getting everyone's attention.

"Good," Yoruichi responded, walking ahead, "let's go." Everyone followed suit. As they exited the Senkaimon-atop Sokyoku Hill-they were welcomed by a few friends.

"Rukia!" Orihime said happily, running to hug her. Renji, Rangiku, Toshiro, Byakuya, Soi Fon, and Ukitake were also there.

"Hey Orihime, long time, no see." Rukia hugged her back. Rangiku came and hugged Orihime.

"Rangiku! I missed you!" she said.

"And I missed you, too!" The lieutenant said happily.

"I love the way you cut your hair!" Orihime smiled. Rangiku did a hair flip.

"Thanks!" she winked.

"Yoruichi-sama! Was your journey alright?" Soi Fon walked/skipped up to her master.

"It was a piece of cake, Soi Fon." Yoruichi smiled.

"Hey Uryu, hey Chad." Renji greeted. Ukitake, Toshiro, and Byakuya seemed puzzled.

"Where is Ichigo?" Toshiro asked.

All four of them suddenly froze before turning to see the Senkaimon close and disappear.

"Ichi…go?!"

 **~Shinganshina, Wall Maria~**

Ichigo opened his eyes, coming in contact with a crescent moon. As he sat up, he noticed he was on a slab of concrete. He groaned, settling onto his butt. He massaged his temples, cursing under his breath for whatever was the causing this growing headache. He was also really exhausted for some reason.

" **About time you woke up, King."** Came a voice behind him. Ichigo froze and quickly prayed he was in a dream. As he turned around, his eyes widened. Sitting down casually on a broken house was his Hollow counterpart, smiling evilly at him.

"You…?!"

" **Me."** His smile widened, eyes having a crazy look in them.

He suddenly jumped into the sky, taking out the new Zangetsu and dropping down onto Ichigo. The teenager had to no time to react, only being able to close his eyes and shield his face. He waited, but the blade never came. He opened his eyes when he heard his Hollow snickering.

" **Sorry King, but now's not the time to be killing you. You need to fix the shit you got us into this time."**

Ichigo stood up, though it required some effort, "What's going on?! How are you even here? Where are we? Where are my friends?!"

" **Fucking hell, what makes you think I know? I only came out when I couldn't feel the Old Man anymore. All I knew after that was this wasn't Soul Society."**

"What do you couldn't feel the Old Man?" Ichigo then began to concentrate, only to feel nothing inside him other than his Hollow's reiatsu. Ichigo began to panic as he looked over at his Hollow with a scared look.

" **Don't worry King, I'm not going to do anything…** _ **for now**_ **."** Ichigo scoffed, **"Besides, I'm more concerned with where we are, because this sure as hell ain't Soul Society."**

Ichigo looked around, "Where are we then?"

" **Again, why do you assume I have the answers? I'm even more confused because of that."** The Hollow pointed, making Ichigo turn. He saw the top of a large wall far away from them.

"A wall?"

" **A wall within a wall."**

"What do you mean? I don't see any other wall."

His Hollow rolled his eyes, **"I have much better senses than you do, King. Though it's been fucked up, we're surrounded by a large wall right now too."**

Ichigo didn't bother trying to see, it was pitch dark and the moon hardly provided any light with the clouds obscuring it.

" **This wall is destroyed, but that one isn't. Safest bet would be to go there."**

"Are you kidding me? We don't know what's on the other side!" Ichigo half-yelled.

" **Fine. Let's wait here. In the dark. In the middle of fucking nowhere."**

Ichigo scowled, and without a word, turned on his heel and Shunpoed towards the wall. His Hollow chuckled as he easily caught up, until he grabbed his sleeve, making Ichigo stop.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo demanded. His body was giving out as it was, he needed to get out of the wide open area they were currently in.

" **Something's up."**

"Huh?"

" **Pay attention, idiot. We're surrounded by hundreds of souls."** Ichigo went eye-wide as he began to look around, suddenly sensing a very large number of Pluses.

"Where are they though? I can't see them."

" **That's why I said something's up. They're here, but they can't be seen. They're all scared of something…What a bunch of pussies."**

"Don't be an asshole!" Ichigo glared.

" **Whatever, we can't do shit for them anyway. Let's go."** His Hollow counterpart began to make his way towards the wall again.

"Hey, wait! I have to perform a Konso!"

" **King, this isn't our world, so a Konso might not work. Besides, ya can't even see the damn things and honestly, ya really wanna crowd up Rukongai even more? Not that I care, but seeing as you get all emotional over dumb shit like that, I'm not too sure you'd be up for it."**

The slums of Rukongai suddenly appeared in Ichigo's mind. He decided against it. These souls were terrified as it was. Putting them there would make matters worse…and make him feel really guilty.

"Okay…," he said, feeling sorry for them, "let's go." The two made their way to the wall, with Ichigo using Shunpo and his Hollow using Sonido.

As the two approached, they finally realized just how tall the structure was.

"Holy shit." Ichigo whispered. He could hardly see, but he could tell from the much darker shade of…whatever, that he was staring up at the wall.

" **It's only about 50 meters, get over it."** His Hollow smiled as he jumped up, not waiting for Ichigo.

"Wait, dammit!" He shouted, jumping up after him. When he got to the top, Ichigo was out of breath, but his Hollow was nowhere to be found. Ichigo suddenly felt a pull and realized his Hollow had retreated inside him.

"Good...," He muttered. He squinted his eyes, trying to enhance his vision as best he could.

 _ **Hold your ground, King. You're surrounded.**_

Ichigo froze as he heard his Hollow's words. He then felt the faint presences of souls; his Hollow was right. Ichigo could tell these people were just ordinary humans, so there was no need to pull out Zangetsu.

He walked along the wall, until he heard a small stomp and quickly turned around, his hand on Zangetsu's hilt. A few whizzing sounds were heard, confusing him, and a figure suddenly launched above him, two blades in hand.

"Oh hell no," Ichigo unsheathed Zangetsu and deflected the attack with ease. Two more came from behind, but Ichigo was more than ready for them. He evaded an attack and kicked one person against a crate, while side-stepping the other and disarming them. Three more came, but Ichigo was prepared. He parried them with Zangetsu, taking mental notes of what they were saying to one another.

"Stop this intruder!" one ordered.

"Take him down!" another said.

"Get the rope ready!"

 _These guys…aren't necessarily trying to kill me._ Ichigo thought. _So what should I do?_

 _ **Kill them.**_

"Shut up," Ichigo muttered, "Please, wait!" Ichigo held his hands up in surrender, shoulders heaving up and down. Damn, his body was going to give out any second. He found it embarrassing that humans were able to get the jump on him like this.

"Halt!" Came a voice. Ichigo turned to the source, but because of the darkness, he couldn't make out a face. All he knew was that it was a male.

"Intruder, are you friend or foe?"

"I could ask you the same thing…You guys just started…attacking me." Ichigo quipped.

"Where do you hail from?"

"…Karakura Town."

"What the hell is that?" someone whispered.

"Where am I? What is this place? What's with the hugeass wall?"

"Hold on…are you from…beyond the walls?" A person on Ichigo's left asked.

 _ **Agree, King.**_

"…Yeah."

"I see." Came the voice once more. "Then, please come quietly."

"How do I know you won't try anything?" Ichigo asked.

"I am a man of my word." Ichigo narrowed his eyes but put Zangetsu on his back and surrendered. "Thank you." Ichigo's wrists were cuffed, "Apologies, but this is for safety measures. We can't have you threatening the civilians."

"I'm not…gonna…"

"Huh? What'd you say?" a soldier asked.

Ichigo was about to respond when he collapsed, letting the darkness engulf him.


	2. Chapter 2

I do **NOT** own Bleach or Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

Ichigo woke up with a groan. His vision was groggy and his body felt heavy. Why was he still so exhausted? He looked around and noticed he was in a bed, inside a cell. Trying to pull the covers off, he realized his wrists and ankles were bound by chains and he was now wearing brown pants with a loose long-sleeved shirt. His Shinigami uniform and Zangetsu were nowhere to be found.

"What…the fuck?" He muttered, trying to break the restraints until he realized he had no strength to do so, even if it was a simple thing. Before he could register anything else, he heard a man's voice one cell down diagonal to his. He craned his neck but could only make out his fellow prisoner-a boy about his age with brown hair and green eyes.

"Answer, you piece of shit. What do you want to do?"

The boy was breathing hard, but was cut short to reveal a crazy look in his eyes, "I want to join the Survey Corps and slaughter the Titans!" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

 _What the hell is a Titan?_

A gleam passed through the short man's eyes as he approached the cell, holding the bars. "Oh? Not bad. Erwin, I'll take responsibility for him. Convey that to the brass. It isn't that I trust him; if he betrays us or loses control, I'll kill him on the spot. They shouldn't complain, because only I can do it. I accept your request. You can join the Survey Corps."

Ichigo suddenly sneezed, getting their attention. He mentally cursed as he heard fast-approaching footsteps. Four men stopped in front of them. Two were in front, a short, raven-haired man and a tall, blond man. The other two were behind them, muskets in hand.

Ichigo's eyes slightly widened, _Wait a…minute, how can they see me? Come to think of it, they were able to see my body on top of the wall, too. …Am I back in my body?_

" _No, you are not, Ichigo. Your body is still in Urahara's shop."_ Zangetsu said.

 _Old Man…?! Where have you…_

"So, the orange decided to wake up." The short man said, earning a scowl from Ichigo.

"…Piss off." Ichigo said, earning gasps of horror from the men in the back and his fellow prisoner. Ichigo then turned to the tall blond man named Erwin, "What the hell did you do…to Zangetsu?"

"Are you referring to your sword?"

"Obviously, what else?"

"Considering how easily you took care of trained soldiers, I decided to take repercussions and had your weapon taken away."

"You did what?"

"My apologies."

"I…recognize your voice…you're from atop that wall. Let me out of here…so I can kick your ass." Ichigo drawled.

The raven haired man spoke, "What bold words coming from a brat. Wonder how much you'll be talking after I put you back to sleep."

"Open the fucking cell and try it." Ichigo spat, though he regretted his words when he remembered he was cuffed to the bed and his body had no strength to defend himself with.

The man proceeded to beat the crap out of him. The thing was, Ichigo was holding his ground despite being chained to the bed. The man's attacks didn't really do much of anything, albeit they still hurt. He even dodged some attacks as well. But after about five straight minutes, the raven haired man kicked him upside the temple and he blacked out once more.

 **~The Next Day~**

The two guards standing in front of Eren's cell left to take a short break; shortly after Ichigo began stirring. Eren craned his neck a little to see the orange-haired teenager curse as he sat up.

"That short motherfucker…!" Ichigo muttered, feeling the nice shiner and bruises on his face. Thankfully, his healing had already begun, so he figured it would be a matter of time until he was good as new. He was no longer under the effects of the drug, so he could easily walk out of there. He was about to do just that when…

"You're awake." Ichigo looked up and craned his neck to see the green-eyed boy looking at him.

"I guess I am."

"I can't believe you spoke to the Captain that way. Though for being cuffed, it took a while for him to knock you out."

"That shrimp is a Captain?" Ichigo asked. Eren raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Yes? Everyone knows about the Captain."

Ichigo snorted, "Well I didn't. Where are we anyway?"

"We're in a dungeon, our trial is coming up soon."

"Trial? What did I do to deserve a trial?"

"I don't know. No one's telling me anything." Eren said sadly, looking down at his hands. Ichigo watched him for a few seconds.

 _ **Get yer ass movin', King.**_

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He said. His Hollow rolled his eyes.

Eren looked up, "Eh?"

"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo. You can just call me Ichigo."

"My name is Eren Jeager. You can call me Eren."

"Nice to meet you." Ichigo said, earning a small grin from the boy. "So, Eren, why'd they get you?"

His grin disappeared, "I…turned into a Titan."

"What's a Titan?"

Eren stared at him, "…You're joking…right?"

"No, I'm not. I don't even know where I am or what the hell is even going on."

"How do you not know what a Titan is?!" he half-yelled.

"Maybe because I've never seen one before? I'm not from here."

"You're from outside the Walls?" Eren asked, almost speechless.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "I suppose so. I was with my friends and next thing I knew, I woke up in front of some broken house. A bunch of debris and rubble was around me and I saw a large wall not too far from where I was. I uh…climbed it, got into with some soldiers like that Erwin guy, and woke up here."

Eren searched Ichigo's face for signs of a lie but came up empty, "You're not lying, are you?"

"No. Eren, I need to know my situation. Where am I?" Ichigo said, chocolate-brown eyes meeting bright green ones.

"You're not gonna believe me."

Ichigo smirked, already used to crazy stuff happening all the time, "Try me."

During the next few days whenever the patrolling soldiers left, Eren spent that time explaining to Ichigo about the walls, Titans, and humanity's current status: dwindling on a thin thread between survival and extinction.

Eren even opened up about his past, going as far as recalling his mother being eaten in front him. He then described his time as a trainee, when the Colossal Titan reemerged, when he transformed into a Titan, and sealing the gate in Wall Rose. Ichigo had congratulated him on the success, but Eren dismissed it by telling him the amount of deaths that occurred as a result.

"…after that, they arrested me and put me down here." Eren concluded.

 **~Ichigo's Inner World~**

His Hollow counterpart and Zangetsu were listening intently to their conversation.

" **This is some crazy shit…I love it!"** His Hollow exclaimed.

"…" Zangetsu stared ahead, listening to the two boys converse. He hid his worry behind a mask of indifference. Zangetsu arched his head a little higher, " _Something is wrong._ "

His Hollow's eyes slightly widened before returning to normal. He looked around, but could still not see the Zangetsu, "You mean the fact that you're not here anymore?

" _No. Something else._ "

The Hollow scanned his surroundings. When he looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowed, **"Yeah, you're right."**

 **~Dungeon~**

Ichigo's fists tightened in anger. Call him an arrogant human, but he never once thought humanity was going to be on the brink of extinction. Zombie flicks and mangas aside, he thought the notion to be ridiculous. But here he was, thrown into a world where giant beings mercilessly ate people.

 _ **At least this now explains all those souls we sensed.**_ His Hollow said.

Ichigo hated it. He thought back to all those terrified souls, still hiding among the rubble in Wall Maria. He wanted to put a stop to it. After he calmed down, he looked at Eren with a look of resolve.

"You said the military faction that kills these Titans is called the Survey Corps, right?" Eren nodded.

 _ **Don't do it, King.**_

"I'm in."

"H-Huh?!" Eren blinked. His Hollow rolled his eyes.

"I'm also joining the Survey Corps."

"W-Wait a minute! You need at least three years of training for that! Besides, you don't even know how to use the 3D Maneuver Gear! There'd be no point in-"

"Then you'll teach me," Ichigo said. Eren stared at him dumbstruck.

 _Not like I'll actually be using it, but whatever._ Ichigo thought.

"Ichigo, do you think I'm a monster?" Ichigo stared at him. "It's just…I'm the very thing that's put humanity in this cage," he lowered his voice, "I'm the very thing that killed my mother…"

Ichigo looked at him softly. He knew what that felt like, "My mother was killed trying to protect me too." Eren's eyes widened. "I was nine when it happened. When I had come to, she was laying on top of me as she bled out, cold and unmoving. From then on, I made sure to get stronger and have continued to do so. I may not be from here, but now that I am, I feel I should at least help-before I go back anyway. Since my mother's death, I've vowed to be a protector. Eren, I want to protect humanity-at all costs."

"Ichigo…how can you vow something like that at such a young age?" Then again, he had made the same vow of slaughtering the Titans, but the situation was a bit different.

"It's just how I was raised, I guess."

"I was raised to ignore the fact that humanity was hurled into this cage by the Titans. But…I couldn't stand that notion. We're not cattle, we're people! What happened five years ago proved what ignoring the situation does!" Eren gripped his sheets, "So many people died that day. That's why…" Eren turned to Ichigo, "That's why I'm going to kill every single of them!"

Ichigo's eyes slightly widened. He knew that look. It was the same look he had when he fought against Grand Fisher. Ichigo nodded in recognition.

"I'll back you up, then." Eren smiled in gratitude, a look of determination in his face. "Now we just need to know what the hell is gonna happen to us. I've never been in a trial before. I stayed out of trouble in that regard."

"Where exactly are you from, anyway?" Eren asked, finding some more respect for the orange-haired teenager.

"A place called Karakura Town. My dad's a doctor, so our house is also a clinic. My little sisters usually help out and I do too when I can. We help out as many people as possible."

"My father was also a doctor." Eren said, "He left on a business trip almost an hour before Wall Maria was lost to the Colossal Titan and Armored Titan."

"I see." Ichigo said, finding that piece of information strange.

Eren smiled, "By the way, all your bruises are gone."

"Huh? Oh, yeah I guess they are." Ichigo silently thanked his Hollow for speeding up the process. Despite no one telling him anything, he knew several days had passed already. He was no longer groggy.

"You healed up rather quickly, though." Eren pointed out.

Ichigo gulped, "Well, yeah, that shrimp's hits weren't much to begin with."

As the two conversed, the guards came in once again, rudely telling them to quiet down, to which Ichigo told them to "fuck off". After dismissing the boy's language, they didn't allow for the two to talk anymore. Eren was taken to use the restroom a few minutes afterwards.

Ichigo opened and closed his hand, feeling the restraints around him. He knew he could break out of these things and get out rather easily, but there was no way he would abandon Eren now. He did well with keeping him from suspecting anything, figuring it was best to keep everyone here from knowing he wasn't even human at the moment as he was in his soul form. Eren was still on death row for being different as much as either of them knew. He'd stay quiet for as long as possible, but he needed to get his attire and Zangetsu back.

As for his well-being, he was puzzled. He left his body in Urahara's shop and he woke up here still in his Shinigami form. But why could everyone see and hear him as if he was back in his body? Were these people not human, then?

 _ **They are human, dumbass.**_

Ichigo scowled, _Then how can they interact with me?_

" _I suppose the journey to this world gave your soul a more corporeal form to those without spiritual awareness, along with wearing your soul out during the process-explaining why you were so worn out when you arrived here."_ Zangetsu spoke.

"Old Man…! Wait, how is that possible?" he whispered.

" _I'm not sure. Ichigo, keep your powers a secret. It is obvious no one here is spiritually aware. Should they discover your abilities, you could end up being a target."_

 _I know, but…I'll do whatever it takes to protect the people._

" _Just don't overdo it."_ Zangetsu said, ending the discussion.

"I'm sorry, but I need to use the restroom." Eren spoke up, snapping Ichigo from his thoughts.

"You just went!" The guard said.

"…Please give me some water."

"Hey! Know your place monster." The other guard said, glaring at him. Eren stared at him shocked before looking down in frustration.

 _Monster? That's true, but…_ Eren looked at his chains before coming to a realization.

 _But they're so afraid of me, they have to chain me up? I guess I understand…it's not like I know what's happening either._ He began to recall how he was almost killed by his fellow soldiers.

 _Maybe I'm lucky I'm not already dead. Come to think of it…_ He remembered how Mikasa and Armin defended him.

 _Those two weren't ever afraid of me. What are they doing now?_ The images of his friends began popping up in his mind.

 _And the others…What happened to them?_ Eren looked up at the two guards and recalled Erwin's words.

 **~Flashback~**

" _Give us a little more time. We'll persuade them somehow."_

 **~End of Flashback~**

 _It's been days since then…What's going on outside? I won't be in here forever, will I?_

Footsteps were suddenly heard, getting both Ichigo and Eren's attention. A person suddenly shot up in front of Eren's cell with a creepy look on their face. Needless to say, they scared Eren.

The person's face softened to a kind smile, "So you're Eren, huh? Are you okay? Anything new? Sorry to keep you waiting. But it seems you're finally getting out." Eren sighed in relief as the person reached into their pocket, "But, you'll have to wear these." They pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

With Eren in handcuffs, the person shot up in front of Ichigo's cell, their expression creeping him out. A large man walked up next to the person.

"Ah, you're also getting out too! Come on!" They said happily, pulling out another pair of handcuffs.

The two boys stood side by side as they walked through a large corridor with a somewhat transparent ceiling.

"I'm Hanji Zoe, a Survey Corps squad leader." Hanji greeted. Eren and Ichigo would have greeted in return, but they were too busy being weirded out by the big man sniffing them.

"He's another squad leader, Mike Zacharius."

"Um…," Eren tried to speak, cringing at the older man's actions.

"Back the fuck off before I break your teeth!" Ichigo yelled, not putting up with being sniffed.

Hanji spoke up, "He has the habit of smelling people he's just met," Mike smirked afterwards, "and then smirking." Eren stared in shocked while Ichigo glared in annoyance, "I don't think it has any real significance. After all, he's good enough that they gave him a squad."

"So what, it'd be okay if he pissed on everyone too because he's good enough to have his own squad?" Ichigo glared, earning a 'tch' from the guards behind. Ichigo glared back at them.

"By the way, what's your name?" Hanji asked him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Kurosaki, huh? Nice to meet you! I hope we'll get along!"

They continued to walk for a bit more, before Hanji groaned, "Oh, sorry! Too much chit-chat." They stopped in front of a door. "We're already here." Eren and Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Don't worry. It's actually better not to give any explanation in advance."

"Wait a minute! You mean you were supposed to debrief us, first? Are you an idiot?!" Ichigo yelled. He'd never been to court before, so he didn't know what to say or do. Especially now that he was in another world, he was even more screwed.

The two guards suddenly grabbed the boys and pushed them inwards.

"Wait!" Eren yelled.

"Get the hell off of me!" Ichigo shouted. They turned back towards Hanji and Mike, who were still in the corridor.

"I know it's selfish," Hanji said, "but we have no choice but to blindly trust you, Eren. As for you Kurosaki Ichigo, this may be the last time we meet…Good luck!" Hanji closed the door. The boys were turned around and pushed forward once again.

Eren and Ichigo stared at the ceiling. The painting on it showed a man being brutally murdered by others for the sake of justice. They then noticed their surroundings. Soldiers were lined up on the left side with unreadable expressions. The back was lined up with civilians, while the right side was filled with more, better-dressed civilians and a few other soldiers.

 _What the hell?_ Ichigo thought, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation he was in.

 _The military court…,_ Eren thought.


	3. Chapter 3

I do **NOT** own Bleach or Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

 _This whole time, I've been under the military court?_ Eren asked himself. Ichigo noticed how terrified Eren was. For someone who had boldly stated he wanted to kill Titans, he became afraid rather easily.

 _ **I wouldn't talk since you're in the same fucked up situation as he is, King.**_ His Hollow said, though his tone made it sound more like a threat.

 _Yeah, but I can easily get out of here, so fuck you._

 _ **Yeah, but you wanna stay here to play fuckin' hero. So here's a fair warning to ya, King: should you get hurt, I'll be coming up to slaughter everyone. You best be careful about what you're gonna do-and fuck you too, bitch.**_

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He knew for a fact if shit hit the fan, his Hollow would take over and kill everyone in sight. He had already tried to kill Byakuya and Uryu, the last thing Ichigo needed was to be at the center of a killing spree. To make matters worse, Zangetsu wasn't around anymore, so his Hollow could basically spring up whenever he wanted to.

Two rifles suddenly pressed against their backs, "Step forward." The guards pushed them. Two other guards were holding large bars in their hands, while one guard yelled at the two.

"Kneel there!" he said. The two looked at each other, nodded, and did as told without complaint. Neither one of them wanted to make matters worse-especially since one of them didn't even know why he was even in this situation (Ichigo). Though it didn't really matter as he could easily get out of his restraints and leave, but Eren couldn't and Ichigo wouldn't just abandon a friend like this. The guards placed the metals bars atop the handcuffs, locking the two in place.

"Don't even think about trying anything funny. You won't be getting out of these." One of the soldiers said.

Ichigo snorted, "Oh, yeah?" The soldiers scoffed at him but walked away.

Eren looked nervously at the people around him. Unreadable faces, scared faces, angry faces, disgusted faces, all of them making him more nervous. Ichigo was scaring people too but by sending them evil glares.

"That kid has orange hair." A man whispered.

"How is that possible?" A woman asked.

"Maybe it's a disease?"

"How disgusting."

Ichigo, having inherited his hair color from his mother, sent a nasty string of insults the people's way. One of the women present fainted.

 _What's with this lineup? What are they even judging here?_ Eren's eyes switched from the Military Police's Commander, to Commander Pixis, to Commander Erwin and Levi. His eyes landed on Armin and Mikasa. He gasped, getting Ichigo's attention.

 _They must be Eren's friends, Mirmin and Arkasa or something._ Ichigo thought.

 _ **Oh my god, you fucking idiot…**_

 _What now?!_

 _ **You could at least try to not be so incompetent…**_

" _Ichigo, their names are Armin and Mikasa."_

 _Whatever!_ He replied, feeling embarrassed.

 _You guys…_ Eren thought.

The sound of a door opening made the two look forward and up. Footsteps were heard and a man with white facial hair and glasses set his coat down and sat in his seat, his sleeves rolled up at the elbows. This man was the Commander-in-chief of all three Military factions, Darius Zackly.

"Well then, let us begin." He said. The man adjusted his glasses, "The first case. Eren Jaeger, yes? You are a soldier, sworn to sacrifice your life for the public good. Is that correct?"

 _It's like Soul Society…_ Ichigo thought, looking at Eren. Eren kept staring up ahead.

"Yes, sir."

Zackly continued, "This is an exceptional situation. This tribunal will be held under military, not civilian, law. The final decision rests entirely in my hands. Your fate will be decided here."

 _I knew it,_ Armin thought, watching Eren nervously.

 _This guy's like a younger Grandpa,_ Captain-Commander Yamamoto appeared in Ichigo's mind.

"Do you have any objections?"

Eren looked straight ahead now, "No, sir."

"I appreciate your perception. I will be direct." Ichigo looked up to his right to see Hanji and Mike approaching the balcony before turning his attention back to Zackly.

"As anticipated, concealing your existence has proved impossible. We must make your existence public in some form or a threat to humanity other than Titans may arise. What I will decide today is which force will have custody of you. The Military Police? Or the Survey Corps? Then, I ask the Military Police for their proposal."

"Yes, sir." A man on Ichigo and Eren's right spoke up, "I, Commander of the Military Police, Nile Dawk, will present my proposal."

"He looks like a douchebag," Ichigo muttered, making Eren go eye-wide. Even in this situation, Ichigo seemed unfazed.

"After a thorough investigation of Eren's body, we believed he should be eliminated immediately." Ichigo and Eren's eyes widened, "It's certainly true that his Titan power overcame our previous peril…However, now his existence threatens to spark a civil war. So we ask him to die for humanity's sake, leaving behind all the information he can."

"Are you kidding me?!" Ichigo yelled. Eren, as well as many others in the room, stared at Ichigo. "You're over here running your mouth disguising murder as some honorable sacrifice?! What a load of bullshit! And what information?! He's spent days locked up, he could have easily given whatever information you wanted from him then! But he didn't! And you know why? Because he's just as lost as you all are!"

"Boy." Came Zackly, making Ichigo look up at him, "Still your tongue. I will not tolerate interruptions in my courtroom."

"It's okay, Ichigo." Eren whispered. Ichigo looked at him surprised. "Thanks." Ichigo returned to his usual scowl, but said nothing, looking down to signal he was done talking…for now anyway.

"There is no need for that!" Came another voice, gaining everyone's attention. He was dressed as a priest and pointing at Eren with an angry look on his face. "He is an invasive pest! He has deceived the Walls that embody God's wisdom!"

"That's one of the Wallists…," Eren whispered to Ichigo.

"He must be killed at once!" The priest continued. Ichigo 'tch-ed' at him.

"Five years ago, no one paid any attention to them, but they've gained power." Eren continued.

"Priest Nick. Order, please." Zackly said, to which the priest angrily clenched his teeth. "We'll hear the Survey Corps's proposal next."

"Yes, sir." Came Erwin, "I, 13th Commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith, will present my proposal." He then turned to Eren, "We would welcome Eren as an official member of our forces, and use his power to retake Wall Maria. That is all."

"Wow. Death or military life. You sure have some nice choices." Ichigo said, loud enough for everyone to hear him.

Eren looked at him, "It's been my dream to join the Survey Corps."

Returning to Erwin's words, Zackly spoke, "That's all?"

"Yes, sir. With his power, we can retake Wall Maria. We believe it is clear what our priorities should be." Erwin said.

"I see. And where do you plan to begin this mission?" He then looked at Pixis, "Pixis, the Trost wall has been completely sealed, correct?"

Pixis smiled casually, "Yes, it can never be opened again."

Erwin spoke, "We would like to set out from Karanes, in the East. From there, we will proceed to Shinganshina. We will determine the route as we go."

 _Shinganshina? That's Eren's hometown that was destroyed by the Colossal and Armored Titans…_ Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"Wait a minute!" Came a merchant across the room, "Shouldn't we seal all the wall gates once and for all? The Colossal Titan can only destroy the gates. If we can strengthen them, we needn't worry about further attacks!"

 _That's a pretty good strategy._ Ichigo mused.

"Shut up, merchant dog!"

"With that Titan's power, we can return to Wall Maria!"

"We can no longer indulge your delusions of grandeur!"

"You talk a lot, pig." Levi said, his arms crossed, a bored expression on his face. Eren and Ichigo turned to him. "Where is your proof that the Titans will wait while we seal the gates? The 'we' you speak of are only those you wish to protect, your 'friends' who help line your pockets. The people who starve because there isn't enough land to sow don't even figure into the thoughts of you pigs." Ichigo found a tiny speck of respect for the short captain.

The merchant put a hand to his heart, "We just thought that we could survive by sealing the wall gates-"

"Silence!" Priest Nick yelled. "Impious traitor! Mere humans altering Wall Rose-walls that were a gift from God? Can you truly see those walls, God's work far beyond human capabilities, and not understand?!"

"Piss off with your wall worshipping!" Ichigo shouted, making Priest Nick glare at him. "If you're dead, you won't be able to worship your precious slabs of concrete, you delusional ass! People's lives are at stake here! That should be everyone's priority!" Armin and Eren stared at him with mouths agape. Mikasa's brows were raised.

"What did you just say to me?! Both you and that monster bring shame to the walls! You ignorant little-"

"Bring it on, old man! I'll slam your face against your walls!" Nick and his fellow priests gasped in horror. Levi inwardly smirked. Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and Rico stared at him shocked-even Hanji and Mike were surprised.

 _ **Nice one, King.**_ His Hollow smirked.

Priest Nick went off, "Humanity is not fit to lay a single finger on those walls!"

"It's because of them it took ages before we could even mount weaponry on the walls." Armin whispered to Mikasa.

"They have a lot of support and power, which makes them difficult." Rico added. The merchant and Priest Nick kept arguing back and forth when Zackly slapped the table a few times.

"Silence. You may discuss your personal philosophies and opinions elsewhere." Zackly said, making Ichigo snicker. "The same applies to you, boy."

"Tch!" Ichigo rolled his eyes. Some soldiers looked at each other scared. This boy had no respect and no hesitation to show it.

Ignoring Ichigo, Zackly continued, "Jaeger, I wish to confirm something. Can you continue to serve as a soldier, using your Titan powers to benefit humanity?"

"Yes, I can!" Eren said, his eyes filled with determination.

"But the report on Trost's defense says this: "Immediately after turning into a Titan, he swung his fist at Mikasa Ackerman."."

Eren's turned to Mikasa shocked. Ichigo swore, he didn't know about that. Mikasa brought her hair inwards to cover her scar.

 _He doesn't remember being unable to control it._ Armin thought. Ichigo and Eren saw how Mikasa sent Rico a nasty look, who gave a scared one in return.

"You want me to lie in a report?" Rico whispered, "Hiding the truth wouldn't help humanity." Mikasa looked away from her, to angry to listen to her excuse.

"Is Mikasa Ackerman present?" Zackly asked.

"Yes, that's me." Mikasa spoke.

"You are Ackerman? Is it true that, as a Titan, Jaeger attacked you?"

Mikasa hesitated to answer, looking towards Eren now. Rico whispered, "Lying isn't going to help Eren one bit."

Mikasa was having an internal struggle with herself, before concluding her decision, "Yes, it's true." The room was filled with gasps and whispers.

"I knew it…He's just another Titan." The merchant spoke.

Eren's face was a mix between despair and horror, _I tried to kill Mikasa? Me?_

Mikasa continued, "But on two previous occasions, Eren saved my life in his Titan form. The first time, mere seconds before a Titan would have had me in its grasp, he stood between us, protecting me. The second time, he saved Armin and me from an HE shell. I would like these facts to be considered as well."

 _Good, there's some leverage against you ignorant bastards._ Ichigo thought, glaring at the people on his right.

"I object!" Niles stated, "I believed these comments are greatly colored by her personal feelings. At an early age, Mikasa Ackerman lost her parents, and was taken in by the Jaeger household. Our investigation has also revealed a surprising fact about the underlying events."

"You gotta be joking…," Ichigo glared, "How far have you bastards stuck your noses into this?!"

Ignoring his comments, Niles continued, "At age nine, Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman killed three robbers who tried to kidnap her." The room was once again filled with gasps.

"That was just self-defense!" Ichigo yelled.

"Even if it was self-defense, I must question their fundamental humanity. Is it right to entrust humanity's fate, resources, and lives to him?" Niles said, causing the courtroom to fill up with chatter.

"That's right!"

"He's just a Titan that infiltrated us by pretending to be a child!"

The merchant pointed towards Mikasa in fear, "So is she! Do we know that she's human?!"

"That's right! Just to be safe, we should dissect her!" someone else said, making Mikasa gasp.

"Wait!" Eren interjected, "I may be a monster, but she has nothing to do with it! Nothing at all!"

"That's right, you paranoid assholes!" Ichigo yelled.

 _ **The fuck are you butting in for?**_ His Hollow asked. They both knew all this was new information for Ichigo.

 _Shut up!_ Ichigo said.

"We can't trust that!" someone yelled.

"It's true!" Eren yelled.

"If you're covering for her, it means she's one of you!"

Ichigo's eyes widened in anger, "You mother-"

" _NO!_ " Eren's yell rang out across the room, his wrists slamming into the bar that bound him. Ichigo turned to him surprised while everyone else gasped. Ichigo's Hollow's eyes narrowed in a calculating manner.

"I mean…you're wrong. But you're simply coming up with theories that fit whatever it suits you to think."

"What did you just say?!" Niles demanded.

Eren looked at them with disdain in his eyes, "Besides, all of you people-"

 _Is this smart?_

"-you've never seen a Titan! What are you so afraid of?"

 _Should I just keep my mouth shut?_

Ichigo's eyes widened a bit when he saw Eren's eyes narrow, the look of resolve coming to him once again.

 _No, I'll tell them everything I'm thinking!_

"What is the point if those with the means and power do not fight? If you're afraid to fight for survival, then help me! You…cowards!"

"What?!"

" _Just shut up!_ " Eren screamed, getting Ichigo's attention even more as he noticed steam rising from Eren's body, " _And bet everything you have on me!_ " Everyone stared flabbergasted at Eren's actions, too shocked to say anything.

Niles looked the soldier next to him, "Weapons ready!"

"Yes, sir!" The man readied his musket and aimed it at Eren, whose eyes widened in shock. Ichigo glared.

"You son of a-!"

A foot came in contact with Eren's face, silencing Ichigo and everyone in the courtroom. A bloody tooth clattered to the floor.

 _Huh?!_ Ichigo and Eren thought in unison, before turning their attention to the one who hit Eren: Levi.

Another kick came in contact with Eren's gut. Levi then pulled him by the hair and shoulder, before kneeing him right in the face. Everyone stared in shock all the while he continued his relentless attack on the boy.

Ichigo and Mikasa both stared horrified and pissed. Mikasa was about to intervene when Armin held her back by the arm.

"Wait, Mikasa!" he cried. Eren had blood dripping from his nose and mouth. He tried to catch his breath, only for Levi to slam his boot right onto his cranium, slamming his forehead against the marble floor.

"You bastard!" Ichigo yelled. Levi glanced at Ichigo, who could tell wanted to rip him apart, but ignored him.

"This is my personal opinion." Levi started, "But I believe pain to the best way to train someone."

Ichigo's eyes widened. Levi looked down at Eren, "What you need is to be trained like a dog, not a man. It's easier to kick you while you're kneeling, too."

Ichigo grit his teeth in absolute fury. "That does it!" A sudden heavy pressure filled up the courtroom, causing many to faint. Levi looked at Ichigo bewildered. The chains holding Ichigo broke apart and those still conscious were either on their knees or trembling. Zangetsu quickly acted, bottling up his reiatsu. It proved somewhat harder than he originally thought until Ichigo's Hollow counterpart helped.

 _ **Calm down.**_

" _Ichigo, remain still."_

Eren's eyes met Ichigo, silently pleading for him to stop whatever was happening. Ichigo didn't understand, but Eren wanted him to calm down for both their sake's. His trial was up next to boot. Ichigo calmed down, but he sure as hell didn't like it. Still, the damage had been done. His reiatsu had leaked for less than a second, yet everyone had already noticed.

 _Fuck!_ He thought.

"What was that?!" Someone yelled.

"Is that a Titan ability?!" Another demanded.

"That must have been!" Someone else answered.

"Someone quickly get the medics! There are people down everywhere!" Zackly slapped his table once again, trying to calm the courtroom, thankfully the majority did.

Without warning, Levi resumed his assault, all the while pissing off Mikasa and Ichigo even more.

Niles spoke up, "Wait, Levi…!"

Eren was currently being held up with Levi's boot rammed into his face, "What is it?" He put his foot down and turned to Niles, ignoring Eren's groans of agony.

"That's dangerous. What if he gets angry and turns into a Titan? You witnessed what just happened right now, didn't you?" Niles asked. His body was trembling and he was sweating bullets. Eren looked up at Levi angrily, but said captain was ignoring his look, instead staring at Ichigo.

 _Dammit, I need-_

" _Ichigo, stop. You'll just make matters worse."_

 _About fucking time, Eren!_ Ichigo thought, his reiatsu still being suppressed. Levi then kicked Eren again.

"What are you saying?" Levi asked, yanking the poor boy up by the hair, "Aren't you going to dissect him?" He let go of Eren and stood over him, "When he turned into a Titan last time, he killed 20 other Titans before collapsing. If he is an enemy, his intelligence makes him a formidable foe. Still no match for me, of course. But what will you do? Anyone persecuting him should also consider that fact. Do you really think you can kill him?"

Ichigo's let out a soft gasp at his realization. _That was their plan?! This was their way of Eren getting into the Survey Corps?!_

Erwin raised his hand, "Sir, I have a proposal."

Zackly, whose hands were folded before him, asked, "What is it?"

"The details of Eren's Titan power remain uncertain-making it dangerous. Thus, I propose to have Captain Levi take responsibility for Eren's control."

"With Eren in tow?" Zackly asked.

"Yes, sir. Based on the expedition's results, I'd like you to judge whether Eren can control his Titan power and whether he is a boon or bane to humanity."

"Control Eren Jaeger…," he turned to Levi, "Can you do it, Levi?"

Still standing above a bloody Eren, Levi responded, "I'm certain I can kill him. The only problem is I doubt I can do any less."

"As if I'd let you," Ichigo warned. Levi and Ichigo glared at each other. The room quickly filled with tension. It was obvious these two did not like each other one bit.

Zackly scoffed, "Then my decision is made."

"Eren Jaeger will join the Survey Corps under the supervision of Captain Levi."


	4. Chapter 4

I do **NOT** own Bleach or Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

With Levi back in his spot next to Erwin, Eren lay there bloody and bruised. Ichigo was whispering to him, trying to keep him conscious. Thankfully, it was working.

"Someone put restraints on him!" Niles pointed at Ichigo. A soldier ran up to Ichigo and handcuffed him again, making the teenager roll his eyes.

"Again, really?" He asked, unaware that Levi was watching him.

"Second case." Zackly announced, causing Ichigo to look at the older man.

"Before we even start, lemme ask one thing Old Man." Ichigo stated.

"Silence yourself, boy!" Niles shouted, "Have you no respect for the Commander-in-chief?!"

"I have no respect for _you_ and if you interrupt me one more time, _I'm gonna kick your ass_!" Ichigo shouted. All the soldiers present went eye-wide. Niles was shocked into silence. Ichigo turned back to Zackly, "Why must I have a trial? What did I do wrong?"

"According to the report, you emerged on top of the wall wearing strange clothing and carrying a large sword. You engaged in battle with members of both the Garrison and Survey Corps. According to Commander Erwin, you held you ground quite easily. Is this true?"

Ichigo shot Erwin a glare before returning to Zackly with his usual scowl. "Yeah, so? Speaking of which, what the hell did you guys do with Zangetsu?!"

"Who is Zangetsu?" he asked.

"It's my sword." Everyone looked at each other confused.

"Why is he naming his sword?" A woman whispered.

"Maybe he has no friends?" A man responded.

"Hey, fuck you!" Ichigo yelled, making the man flinch.

"Boy." Zackly called, "Enough with your vulgar language. One more outburst and I will end this trial with a swift judgment for your execution."

Ichigo was about to retort with that being impossible, but his bit lip instead.

"What is your name?"

 _ **They're obviously not from Japan, King. Introduce yourself with your first name first.**_

"…Ichigo Kurosaki."

"And where do you hail from?"

"From…outside the walls." Gasps were heard, "A place called Karakura Town."

"Outside the walls?! Preposterous! You lying snake!" Priest Nick yelled in a crazy manner.

"Hey, Old Man," Ichigo called to Zackly, "if you don't want me breaking someone's jaw, then _shut him up_." Ichigo could swear his Hollow was smiling from ear to ear at that threat. Knowing his Hollow, that was the equivalent of playtime to a toddler.

Armin and Rico exchanged surprised looks. Pixis's eyebrows raised in surprise and Erwin's eyes widened slightly before quickly returning to normal. Levi was staring at Ichigo with an unreadable expression. Eren stared at him completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape.

 _Ichigo…?!_

"Priest Nick, not another outburst or I will send you outside." Truth be told, Zackly was just as tired of the priest's interruptions.

"Look," Ichigo started, "I'm 17 years old. I've never encountered Titans before in my life-nor have I ever heard of them. I knew nothing about humanity being on the brink of extinction. For that, I'm sorry."

Mikasa stared at him confused. Rico looked on worried, while Armin didn't know what to make of this situation.

"But now that I'm here, I figure it's now part of my responsibility."

 _ **Ugh, god, you're so fucking annoying King!**_

 _Fuck you!_

 _ **Fuck you!**_

"What do you mean by that, Kurosaki?" Zackly asked.

He turned to Eren, "Eren and I already spoke about this." Then he turned back to Zackly, "I also want to join Eren and help fight the Titans."

Zackely and Levi raised an eyebrow while Erwin stared at Ichigo. Pixis had his eyes closed and Niles stared unbelieving.

"You are not from the walls. Yet now that you are here, you wish to fight for us?"

"I'm part of humanity, so I have the responsibility to help. I want to protect humanity. Obviously at the moment, I don't look the part, but I can handle my own."

Levi scoffed, "Prove it then."

Ichigo glared at him, "Let me out of these restraints and I will, shrimp."

"Ichigo!" Eren yelled at him, more scared than angry.

"That boy is crazy!" Someone from the Garrison whispered.

"Does he have no respect?" Someone from the Survey Corps asked. Levi was about to move before Erwin cleared his throat. Levi's eyes darted towards his superior, who glanced at him. Levi scoffed and kept to himself.

Erwin raised his hand, "I have another proposal."

"Pray tell." Zackly asked.

"If Ichigo Kurosaki can prove himself right now that he is capable of a fight once more, then we of the Survey Corps will give him a place among our ranks." Ichigo's eyes narrowed at Erwin, who stared right back. Something about the blond didn't sit well with Ichigo, not to mention he never said he would become an actual soldier, he just wanted to help humanity survive.

"Erwin! What are you trying to pull?!" Niles asked angrily. Ichigo looked back and forth between the two Commanders and figured these they had a history.

"Very well, then." Zackly said, "Undo his restraints." Ichigo looked at him surprised, "However, Kurosaki, should you give the impression of trying to escape, you will be shot on sight."

"Yeah, sure whatever." He retorted. _It's not like I wouldn't be able to dodge your bullets anyway…_ Ichigo thought. He swore he could hear his Hollow snickering.

"Commander-in-chief, please!" Niles begged.

"Do we have a deal, Kurosaki?" Zackly asked, his tone stern.

"Deal." Ichigo smirked. The guards undid his restraints. Call him cocky, but Ichigo knew he would beat anyone who challenged him.

"Mike, please come down." Erwin said, earning gasps from the other soldiers. Mike came through the back and stood a good distance away from Ichigo.

" _Ichigo…"_ Zangetsu started.

 _What is it, Old Man?_

" _Just be wary of the fact that you're still fighting a human-"_

 _ **Basically, don't fuck'em up too badly. Though some broken bones wouldn't be too bad.**_

Before his arrival, Ichigo had been sparring several times with Yoruichi because she felt his hand-to-hand combat was lacking for someone his level. Though their speeds were close, it depended on how the battle was going that would determine the faster one. Yoruichi obviously excelled at hand-to-hand combat, something Ichigo never doubted, so she'd usually be pinning him to the ground or kicking him through a boulder or two. He knew for a fact that no one here would ever prove as much of a challenge in hand-to-hand combat as she did.

Ichigo stood with his legs shoulder-width apart. Mike stood a little more casually. They stared at each other: Ichigo, with an obvious scowl, and Mike with a seemingly bored one. Seconds passed, maybe even a minute.

Mike suddenly charged at him. A chop to his neck came, but Ichigo effortlessly grabbed his arm and went for a knee to the gut. Ichigo then punched him right in the nose, sending him back. He charged at Mike, and went for a dropkick right on the nose. Mike was sent flying into the civilian rows, earning some screams. Everyone stared and Ichigo mentally swore. Had he gone too fast?

 _ **Nah, you're fine. It was just a little quick for them, but they saw it…Or some of it.**_ His Hollow cackled.

Ichigo walked over to Mike and held his hand out, feeling guilty, "Sorry, big guy." Mike took his hand and hoisted himself up. Blood trailed from his nose and he could feel a fractured rib.

"Well then." Zackly was noticeably impressed, "It seems since you're just gearing for a fight, I'll make my decision."

"Commander-in-chief, please wait! What if he's a threat? Both he and Eren Jeager should sacrifice themselves for huma-" Ichigo, sending Niles a cold glare, began walking towards him.

"You and the priest really need to shut up." Levi suddenly appeared beside Ichigo in the air, aiming a kick to his temple. Ichigo didn't even turn to him as easily grabbed Levi's leg and threw him to the side. Levi landed on his feet, a hint of surprise on his face. The two stared at each other, a tension building between them.

"Enough already." Zackly said, slamming the table, "My mind has been made. Eren Jaeger and Ichigo Kurosaki will both be in the Survey Corps." Mixed emotions rang out. "And both will be under Corporal Levi's watch." Ichigo gasped while Levi's eyes moved towards Zackly.

"Wait, what?!" Ichigo yelled.

 **~In a Room~**

Eren was sitting on a couch having his wounds being tended to by Hanji. Erwin was standing before him, watching. Mike was looking out the window, a hand to his bandaged torso, and Levi was sitting on the couch across Eren. Ichigo, now donning the standard military uniform, was leaning against the wall next to Eren, watching him as well.

"That was really terrible." Hanji said, "It hurts, right?" Eren winced as the cotton ball was applied to one of his cuts. He brought a handkerchief to the wound.

"A little." He pouted cutely.

Hanji's face changed to one of excitement, "So, how does it hurt?!" Eren and Ichigo stared at Hanji confused.

"What the hell are you getting so excited for?!" Ichigo asked.

"I'm sorry." Erwin said, taking a step forward, "But thanks to that, we had you turned over to us."

"Yes, sir." Eren said.

"Still pretty fucked up, though. You could have at least informed him of the plan." Ichigo said, eyeing Erwin. Erwin's eyes flickered to him.

"I had noticed you figured out our plan during the trial. No one else seemed to. You're sharp."

"And you're weird." Ichigo said. He wasn't trying to be offensive (this time), he was merely stating his opinion.

Erwin turned back to Eren, "The pain you endured allowed me to play my cards at the right moment." Ichigo rolled his eyes and walked over to Mike.

He clasped a hand on his shoulder, "Sorry again, about earlier." Mike shook his head.

Erwin squatted down in front of Eren, "You have my respect." He extended his hand outward. "Eren, I look forward to working with you."

Eren eagerly took his hand, "Yes, sir! Thank you!"

Levi then walked over and plopped down next to Eren, making him gasp in fear. Ichigo suddenly turned and was about to storm over, when Mike held him back or at least tried to. Levi watched as Ichigo glared at him, before turning to Eren.

"Hey Eren…"

"Y-Yes, sir?"

"…do you resent me?" Levi crossed his legs as he finished his sentence.

Eren was still cringing in fear, "N-No…I understand why it was necessary."

Levi closed his eyes and faced forward, "That's good."

"But you took it a little too far." Hanji said, turning to Eren, "You lost a tooth."

Hanji unwrapped his bloody tooth, to which Levi spoke, "Don't pick that up. It's creepy."

"Even this is an important sample."

"Eren, it's still better than getting dissected by people like Hanji, right?" Levi asked. Eren stared at the tooth scared.

"I'm not like them…I wouldn't kill him." She turned to Eren, "Hey Eren, let me see the inside of your mouth."

"What the fuck?" Ichigo asked, no longer trying to being held back by Mike, who was once again staring out the window. Eren hesitated before opening his mouth. Hanji peered inside before gasping, making everyone look at her.

"The tooth…it's already grown back."

Eren closed his mouth, "R-Really?"

"Yes, really!" Hanji said excitedly, "This is amazing! Eren, you're amazing!" Hanji began to ramble about new possible experiments. Eren ran his tongue over his teeth, confirming it. Ichigo just looked at Hanji with a raised eyebrow.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Erwin said, silencing the room and directing everyone's attention towards the teenager.

"You're quite a remarkable combatant. As it stands, only two people can go toe-to-toe with Mike. Then again, you didn't even see Mike as a challenge. I'm impressed. I'm glad you decided to become a soldier. We need all the help we're offered."

Ichigo scowled at him, "Let's get one thing straight, Erwin. I'm not a soldier. I'm just helping Eren protect humanity while he goes off to slaughter Titans."

"Didn't you say you were fighting for humanity's survival though? You'll have to fight Titans to do that." Hanji stated.

"I did. But not as a soldier."

"What do you think the Survey Corps is, kid? We're not some club where you brats can do whatever the hell you like. This is the military, if you're given orders, you follow them. No questions asked." Levi said.

He turned back to Erwin, "Well I am going to ask. Erwin, what exactly happens on these expeditions of yours?"

"It's Commander, brat." Levi said.

"Piss off, I wasn't talking to you." Ichigo shot back. Levi stood up but Eren got between them.

"C-Captain, please don't get angry." He turned to Ichigo, "Ichigo stop it, please."

"I'm not doing anything." He said, turning back to Erwin, scowl deepening, "Don't leave any details out."


	5. Chapter 5

I do **NOT** own Bleach or Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

 **~Trost District: Forest Path ~**

"The old Survey Corps HQ…Originally, it was an old castle we remodeled. So it certainly looks imposing." A man explained, "But being so far from the rivers and walls, it ended up being useless for the Survey Corps. It was established right after the Survey Corps's formation, when ideals were all they had. But I never imagined that this giant ornament would end up being the perfect place to hide you."

Eren listened to him speak before turning around to see Levi glaring at him. The boy quickly turned back around when the soldier pulled up next to him.

"Don't get cocky, new kid."

"Sir?" Eren asked.

"I don't care if you're a Titan." He whispered in a threatening manner, "I can't believe Captain Levi will spend all his time with a brat like you-" His horse stepped on a rock, causing the man to bite down on his tongue, causing blood to spurt.

"Serves the idiot right for talking too much," Ichigo said. It was obvious the soldier was trying very hard to be like Levi, but it was so painfully obvious that it made Ichigo wanted to punch him. A breeze blew by, blowing Eren and Ichigo's hoods off.

"Your hair…it really is orange." A petite woman said.

"Yeah, I inherited it from my mother."

"I bet that's the first thing people comment on when they see you, huh? Must be annoying." Another man with dark skin said.

"Sometimes. People assume that because my hair color is the way it is, that I'm a delinquent and ready to start some trouble."

"How does that work?" The woman asked. Ichigo was going to respond but figured things like hair dye didn't exist in this world, so he merely shrugged.

 **~Trost District: Former Survey Corps Headquarters~**

"It's no wonder you bit your tongue, talking up a storm while riding a horse!" The woman scolded.

"First impressions are important." The man answered, holding a bag of ice to his tongue. "The new kid almost pissed his pants."

"I think he was just surprised by how dumb you are."

"Either way, my plan worked." He smirked. The woman looked at him suspiciously.

"…You didn't always talk like that, did you? If…If you're seriously doing it to imitate Captain Levi, please stop. You aren't like him in the slightest."

The man turned to her with a grin, "Trying to bind my hands, Petra? You haven't followed all the necessary steps to become my wife."

"I wish you'd bitten through your tongue and died. Going on and on about how many Titans you've killed…" Petra said.

"Don't worry. I bragged about the rest of you, too."

Ichigo and Eren were tending to the horses. While they were both a small distance away, they could hear most of their conversation. While Eren felt nervous being around them, Ichigo on the other hand couldn't care less. He stretched his back and legs with a slight groan.

"Are you sore, Ichigo?" Eren asked.

"Yeah. I've never ridden a horse before. Fucking hurts." Ichigo said.

"You've really never ridden a horse before?" Eren asked, he found that oddly strange since horses were pretty much the only other mode of transportation…aside from walking and 3DMG.

"Yeah, never. Didn't really need to. Anyway, who the heck are these people?" The two boys turned towards Petra and Oluo.

"Those are the members of the Survey Corps Special Operations Squad. Also known as Squad Levi."

Ichigo's eyes slightly widened, "They're that good?"

"You're pathetic!" The woman chided.

"Petra Rall. Titans kill: ten. Assists: 48." Eren then turned to the man, "Oluo Bozad. Kills: 39. Assists: nine. By any definition, they're the best."

Ichigo could hear his Hollow snort. _**I'll show you who's really the best here.**_

 _Shut it._ Ichigo responded immediately. Two men, one with blond hair and the other with brown hair, walked past them, ignoring the rest of them.

"And them?" Ichigo asked.

"Eld Jinn. Kills: 14. Assists: 32. Gunther Schults. Kills: seven. Assists: 40. They're the best of the Survey Corps, specially selected by Captain Levi."

"Yeah, I guess…," Ichigo scratched the back of his head.

"And…," Ichigo turned back to Eren, "if I lose control, they'll be the ones to kill me."

"I'm not going to let that happen." Eren softly gasped and turned to Ichigo. "If they're going to hurt you, they'll have to get past me. I'm not going to let them have their way with you."

"Ichigo…," Eren's voice held admiration. "But…why? Why would you go so far for me?"

"We're friends, aren't we? We protect each other." Eren smiled gratefully, "Plus…I know a thing or two about being treated as a monster." Eren was about to ask what that last part meant when Gunther spoke.

"Look at all these weeds. What a mess." Eld and Gunther were in front of the headquarters, admiring its current shape.

"It hasn't been used for years. It's probably covered in dust inside." Eld added.

"That's a serious problem." Came a voice behind them, "We'll begin immediately."

 **~With Ichigo & Oluo~**

Ichigo and Oluo were both cleaning the kitchen, or at least Ichigo was as a means to keep him from killing Oluo.

"So you know it isn't easy being on Captain Levi and mine's level. We're cut differently from everyone else. Soon, I'll probably even surpass him. You have heard that I've got an impressive kill-streak, I'm sure. Yup, 39 kills. That's something only the best can achieve. Of course it's not easy with all this pressure on my shoulders. Now that I've got 39 kills, I have a reputation to uphold. I mean, you probably can't even begin to imagine such a number. Thirty-nine kills is practically unheard of-except of course for the Captain-but now that I've got 39 kills-"

Ichigo stood up and grabbed Oluo by his ascot, "Hey, how about you shut the fuck up already about your 39 kills? While you're here bragging and making light of the situation to sound cool, many others have died trying to fight for a cause you seem to only care of for the glory. If being like that shrimp is all that matters to you, then leave. Go try to impress someone else." Ichigo let go of Oluo, prompting the soldier to fall on his rear, and left the room.

 **~With Levi~**

Levi was cleaning the window ledge when Eren opened the door.

"I've finished cleaning the upper floor." Levi turned towards him, "Where should I sleep?"

The captain pulled down his cleaning rag, "You sleep in the basement."

"In the basement again?" Eren asked, his voice hinting at disappointment.

"Obviously. You can't control yourself. If you're underground, we can contain you if you turn into a Titan while half-asleep. That was one of the conditions for bringing you here. It's a rule you'll have to follow." Eren's eyes slightly widened.

"I'll inspect the rooms. Eren, take over here." Levi said, walking past him.

"Yes, sir." After Levi left, Eren looked at the floor in slight frustration, unhappy about his predicament.

 **~With Ichigo~**

Ichigo wiped his brow with his forearm, admiring his work. Cleaning wasn't a problem for him and oddly helped de-stress him of his current situation. He looked at a window pane in the bottom corner and noticed a smudge, proceeding to squat down once more to clean it off.

" **You'd make a great spouse."** Ichigo yelled in surprised and jumped back. His eyes widened when he saw his Hollow counterpart leaning against the stone wall next to the window he had been cleaning. **"Hey, King. What's new?"** He smirked.

"What the fuck?! What the hell are you doing here?!" he demanded.

 _Ichigo, it is best not to cause a scene._ A voice erupted around the room he was in. He flinched in surprise.

"Old man?!" He looked around the room for the source, but couldn't find Zangetsu.

" **Yeah, don't bother. I can't see him either."** His Hollow said, earning a scowl from Ichigo.

 _There's something we must speak to you about. Something you must know._ Zangetsu's voice called out once more.

"What do you mean? Is everything alright?"

" **We're not exactly sure, King. We're still trying to figure out what's happened. All we know is that you've changed."**

"Is it good or bad?"

" **We're not sure of that either."** Ichigo was beginning to get worried. It was one thing to deal with the situation in his new day-to-day life, but if it was affecting his soul on such a level…well, he didn't know what to think.

"Zangetsu, how come I can't see or feel you anymore?" Ichigo asked. His response was silence. "Old man?" he called again. Still no answer.

" **He's gone again. Won't be popping up for a while now."**

"Why?! Why is he gone but you're not?"

" **King, I have feelings ya know."** His Hollow mocked, placing a hand over where his heart should be…if he had one. Come to think of it, did he have a heart? Ichigo shook his head.

"Fuck off. Why does he keep disappearing?" he demanded.

" **Not sure of that either."** Ichigo was about to comment but from his Hollow's tone, it had appeared as though he had been seriously wondering that same question. He opted for another question.

"This "change" you keep talking about, when did you first feel it?"

His Hollow turned to him, **"As soon as you fell through that portal and I was able to come out of your body willingly."**

"You're not bad at cleaning." Came a voice. Ichigo turned to the source to see Levi. Ichigo quickly turned to where his Hollow had been standing only to find him gone. Levi walked up to the window to examine for any remaining smudges. He found none.

Ichigo cleared his throat and crossed his arms, his normal scowl returning. "My father runs a clinic, so I help keep his place clean for patients."

"Not bad. Did you receive any medical training from him?"

"I know how to dress wounds and clean up light scratches. Other than that, no." Ichigo shrugged.

"Hm…," the captain walked back to the door, "well since you're done here, get moving to the next room. Maybe Eren could learn something from you." And with that, he walked back upstairs to where Eren was. Ichigo would have retorted, but his mind was occupied by his Hollow and Zanpakuto's words.

 **~Erwin's Office~**

"…then, in 32 days, we're going beyond the walls to set up resupply points?" Mike asked, looking out the window. "And we're to bring along new recruits from this year's graduates, too."

Erwin was finishing up his blueprints for the new formation he wanted to try out, "If there will be any new recruits, that is."

Mike turned back to him, "Regardless, I believe it's too soon."

"Eren's present circumstance is only a temporary measure. We must demonstrate to the Center that he's a benefit to humanity as soon as possible. Otherwise," he tapped his pen on the blueprints, "we'll have the Military Police after us aga-"

"You're even using that story on me, Erwin?" Mike asked, not being fooled. Erwin turned to him surprised before revealing a small smile.

"You're as sharp as ever, Mike." Mike sniffed the air.

"But not as sharp as you."

"I'll tell you when the time comes." He said, before turning back to his blueprints.

"…And what of that other boy?"

"You mean Ichigo Kurosaki?" Mike grunted in affirmation. "He's definitely valuable."

 **~Trost District: Former Survey Corps Headquarters~**

Squad Levi was having tea in the dining hall. Levi and Eren sat on the ends, while Petra and Oluo sat on side, with Ichigo, Gunther, and Eld on the other. Eld was informing the other of their upcoming duties.

"…We'll be on standby for a few more days. I heard we're already planning a large-scale expedition beyond the walls in a month. Not to mention, we'll be bringing this year's graduates along, too." Ichigo noticed the change in Eren's expression. He was worried.

"Is that really true, Eld? That's pretty sudden," Gunther said. "That Titan attack must've taken a toll on the new troops."

Oluo looked at his tea in a cocky fashion, sitting in his chair the way Levi usually did, "It probably terrified the brats."

Petra looked just as worried as Eren did, "Is that true, Captain?"

Levi, who was sitting the same way as Oluo spoke, "Making plans isn't my job. But knowing Erwin, he has more on his mind than we could imagine."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, _Sneaky bastard…_

Eld was resting his chin on his folded hands, "It's true that the situation has changed. I'd thought that all of our sacrifice thus far to lay a route to retake Maria had been negated by a single blow. But now we have an entirely different hope," Eld turned towards Eren. He froze; all of Squad Levi was watching him. Ichigo knew that feeling all too well and the pressure that came with it.

"It's not just Eren, you know." Ichigo said, not necessarily making eye contact with anyone.

"Oh? Feeling brave boy?" Oluo said in a cocky tone.

"Call me boy ever again and I'll throw you out the highest window in this goddamn castle." Ichigo threatened, making Oluo clear his throat in nervousness.

"I'm saying Eren's not the only person in the Survey Corps. All of you are supposedly the best of the best, right? Chosen by shorty over there?" He jerked his thumb in Levi's direction, earning surprised faces from everyone with the exception of Levi himself. "Not to mention, I'm here now too."

"Ichigo, I did hear you held yourself pretty well in the courtroom but what lies beyond the walls is nothing like that." Petra said.

"I never said it was. But I can tell you all right now, that you shouldn't just be relying on Eren. Don't suddenly put the weight of the world on his soldiers just because he can turn into a Titan."

Eren looked down, taken aback by the situation. Eld spoke, "I still can't believe it if I'm being honest. But what do they mean when they say you turn into a Titan, Eren?" Ichigo felt a presence approaching at a fast speed, confused as to why that person was coming here.

"I don't really remember what happened. I was so desperate to survive in that situation, I couldn't think…But the trigger is self-inflicted injury." He lifted his hand up and formed a light first, "I take my hand like this…" His eyes suddenly widened.

 _Wait…how do I know this?_

Levi spoke, "You know we won't get anything out of Eren that isn't already covered in the reports." He lifted his tea cup to his mouth, "But I'm sure a certain someone has other ideas." He sipped his tea, "Maybe fiddle around with you, and even kill you, Eren." Eren gasped.

"W-What?!" A long bang suddenly hit the door of the dining hall, causing everyone but Levi and Ichigo to gasp. Petra got up and opened the door. Hanji appeared, rubbing their head from the pain.

They raised a hand in the air, "Hello, Squad Levi. How are you enjoying the castle?"

"You're early." Levi said, sipping his tea.

"I couldn't wait any longer!" Hanji responded, walking straight past him towards Eren.

"Squad Leader Hanji?" Eren asked, looking up at them from his seat.

"Hey there, you two." Hanji stood between Ichigo and Eren, "I'm in charge of investigating the two Titans we've captured in town and I'd like you both to help with tomorrow's experiments. I came to get permission."

"Pass." He turned to Eren, "You're not gonna agree to this, are you?" Ichigo asked, pointing at Hanji, "This person's insane."

"Experiments? What would we be doing?" Eren asked.

"Something totally awesome!" Hanji exclaimed, with a perverted expression. Ichigo rolled his eyes. Eren didn't really know if he could trust that answer.

"W-Well…I can't give permission for Ichigo and I."

"Wow, was that seriously all you could come up with?" Ichigo looked at him bewildered.

"I don't have that authority-"

"Levi! What are Eren and Ichigo doing tomorrow?"

"Cleaning the courtyard." Levi said.

"When the hell did I agree to do that?!" Ichigo asked.

"Okay, then! It's settled!" Hanji said happily, slapping Ichigo's back and then grabbing Eren's hand.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Ichigo half-yelled.

"Eren, Ichigo, see you tomorrow!"

"R-Right…But what do you mean by experiments with Titans?"

"Hmm?" There a strange glint in Hanji's glasses, giving Eren and Ichigo the creeps.

"U-Um, what kind of experiments-"

"Hey, stop! Don't ask!" Oluo harshly whispered.

Hanji's creepy expression turned worse, "Ah~, I knew it. I thought you looked like you wanted to hear~." Levi and the rest of Squad Levi quickly got up and left the dining hall, confusing the two boys. Hanji pulled up a chair between the two boys and sat down.

"If you two really want to hear about it, that's perfectly fine."

"Hey, I never said I wanted to hear anyth-!" Hanji pulled Ichigo by the ear, keeping him from trying to leave.

"I'll have to tell you about the boys we captured!" Hanji set some tea for themselves. "We started by repeating the experiments from the last five successful captures. First, we tested if communication was possible. Unfortunately, we reached the same conclusion as before that communication was impossible."

"Wait, why would you think you could communicate with Titans in the first place?" Ichigo asked, finding that part strange.

"Mm, that's a story for another time!" Hanji said, pointing a finger to the ceiling. "Anyway, my time with the Titans has been so fulfilling that I could almost forget the weariness from my daily toils. And so, I named the seven-meter class Titan Bean and the four-meter class Titan Sawney." Ichigo rolled his eyes at Hanji's words.

"Next, we tried cutting them off from sunlight. We know that Titans start shutting down as the night progresses. So we wanted to experiment to verify that sunlight was powering them somehow. There were large individual differences as to how they were affected. After losing access to sunlight, Sawney started slowing down in an hour, but Bean was fine for three hours."

 _Could it be Sawney was affected quicker than Bean because he's smaller? Height could play a part in the overall powers Titans have. As for Titan shifters,_ Ichigo glanced at Eren from his peripheral, _I guess we'll see._

"I was amazed yet again. They don't eat or drink. They have vocal organs but they don't need to breathe. For energy, it seems all they require is sunlight. What if we deprived them of it for an extended period? I am curious, but it wouldn't do to have them die on us if that's what it could come to. We killed the last boys we caught by mistake." Hanji's expression turned sad, "When we experimented with cutting off their heads, we took off the backs of their necks, too." Eren looked surprised at that, "Chikachironi and Albert were their names. Their smiles were so cute." Ichigo didn't know what to make of Hanji. It was almost as if they were supporting Titans themselves.

"I feel really bad about what we did to them. I never want to feel that way again!" The conversation turned a bit dark.

"Hanji…," Eren said softly. Suddenly Hanji shot up and grabbed the two boys by their shoulders.

"And then, we started touching their bodies directly to test their sense of pain!" Hanji's face looked as if she was in pain herself, "We had to see if Titans had any vulnerabilities other than just the backs of their necks." Their expression had calmed down after that, "It was an extremely difficult task. Unlike Bean, Sawney was introverted and rarely responded. So Sawney isn't good with self expression. He just kept trying to bite my head off."

"That's more than enough for me." Ichigo said.

"Hanji?" Eren started, his tone conflicted. "How can you stay so cheerful around Titans? I mean, they've almost wiped us out…They're out natural predators. And you've seen what they can do hundreds of times." Ichigo watched Eren intently, wondering if his emotions were going to burst.

"You're right," Hanji said. "I've seen many, many friends get killed by Titans in front of me. When I first joined the Survey Corps, it was hatred that drove me. But then, one day I realized it. It was after I'd kicked away the head of a three-meter Titan."

Ichigo looked at her confused. How strong was Hanji to be able to kick a Titan's head?

"It was light…Extremely light-the Titan's body." Eren and Ichigo looked at her surprised. "Something that size shouldn't even be able to stand, much less walk, on two feet. That's true for all of them. I once cut an arm off and it didn't weight nearly what it should have. I'm told when you became a Titan, the body itself appeared out of thin air. I believe that the Titans we see and the Titans of actuality might be different beings altogether." Hanji served Ichigo and Eren another cup of tea, placing each one in front of them before serving one for themselves.

"For decades, we've tried to fight the Titan with hatred in our hearts. I want to try and see them from a different angle than the current norm. It may end up not meaning a damn thing. But I'm going to do it anyway!"

Eren looked at her in awe before taking a sip of tea to calm down, _Since I've joined the Survey Corps, it's been one surprise after the next. Not just Squad Leader Hanji or Captain Levi. Everyone here is odd. It's like a den of madmen…_ Eren glanced at Ichigo who was staring at his tea with an unreadable expression, _But…the Survey Corps is a group of people who desire change!_

"Squad Leader Hanji!" Eren said suddenly, making Hanji and Ichigo look at him. "Could you tell me more about your experiments?"

Hanji blushed, "Really?"

Ichigo softly sighed, "Sure, why not?" Eren turned to him with small surprised, getting a nod in response. Eren smiled and then turned back to Hanji.

"I think it's best for tomorrow's experiments if I know the details."

"Me too, I'll help out in any way I can. Also because I didn't fucking agree to cleaning the courtyard." Ichigo said.

"T-That's true…Yeah, okay. There is a lot of stuff I skipped, so I'll give you guys more details then!" Ichigo and Eren nodded in unison. "But it'll take a while!"

"That's fine!" Eren said eagerly.

Hanji cleared their throat, "Well you see, when we first captured a Titan, this was my hypothesis…"

 **~Morning~**

"…and thus, we didn't learn anything new from these experiments. You should have learned everything I just told you when you were a trainee, Eren. You knew all that, right?"

Eren had a look of utter regret on his face while Ichigo had his face down on the table, "Yes…I knew all of that already." Ichigo let out a long groan.

"Okay good! So let's go over it once more, this time adding my own hypothesis!"

Eren gasped in shock while Ichigo yelled, "Oh, fuck off!" and slammed his fists onto the table, before sensing another approaching figure.

"Um, I think-"

"First, the Titans-" The doors to the dining hall swung open.

"Is Squad Leader Hanji here!?" A man with light brown hair appeared. Hanji turned towards the door, "The test subjects! Both Titans were killed!"

All three of them immediately gasped and got up from their seats. They ran towards the stables with Squad Levi in tow and rode out to the experiment area.

 **~Titan Experiment Area~**

The large skeletons of Sawney and Bean lay on the ground smoking. Hanji's screams rang throughout the air with other soldiers looking the scene in shock.

"Sawney! Bean! This can't be real!" Hanji fell to their knees, "Tell me it isn't real!"

Eren and Ichigo had their Survey Corps capes on, covering their faces. They looked on at the scene in shock. Ichigo stared at the skeletons. He knew Titans were considered big, but he didn't exactly know that scale of it.

 _These two…were only four and seven meters tall. That's already pretty large itself. But if the Colossal Titan is really as big as everyone says it was…_

"Those subjects were very valuable…," Gunther said. "Did one of the soldiers do it?"

"Yeah, but we don't know who just yet." Eld said. "They were both killed at the same time before dawn. By the time the watchmen noticed, they'd used their 3DMG to get away."

"So this was a deliberate plan, involving two or more people…"

Hanji was screaming at the top of their lungs, "Sawney!"

"Look, Squad Leader Hanji's gone nuts." Oluo said. Petra scowled at his comment and elbowed him in the side.

"What the hell is this?" Ichigo asked, staring at the scene in front of him. Levi came up beside the two young boys, "Let's go. It's up to the Military Police now."

"Yes, sir." Eren said, watching his superior walk away before turning back to the skeletons. Ichigo heard footsteps approaching behind them. When he was about to turn around, Erwin leaned in between the two.

"What do you two see?" Eren turned to him confused by his question. Ichigo remained silent. "What do you think the enemy is?" Erwin's eyes moved over to Ichigo, who was staring back at him with a suspicious expression. He blinked and looked back at Eren, "I'm sorry to ask something so odd."

"Doesn't seem like it." Ichigo said. Erwin ignored his comment and walked away. The two watched his retreating figure in confusion and shock.

 _What the hell is he up to?_ Ichigo thought.


End file.
